This is a picture of a timber rattlesnake and its shell. The shell of the rattlesnake is an example of an exoskeleton. An exoskeleton is a skeleton or covering on the outside of an animal's body whose function is to support and protect the animal. The timber rattlesnake's shell is the exoskeleton that the snake has shed through a natural process called "molting" to help with the growth process. The previous exoskeleton (shell) is no longer fit for use and a new exoskeleton has generated on the snake to support its developing body.
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